Barbara McCuen

Ode to Mondrian, Mies and Philip Johnson, Verses 1-3

Barbara McCuen

Cityscape No. 1

Barbara McCuen

Interior Enigma

Barbara McCuen

My mission as an artist is to capture and communicate the essence of classic modern architecture and design through stylization and abstraction.

All of my paintings are inspired and informed by the interiors, exteriors and sites of real or imaginary modern buildings. Building designs dating back to the origins of modern architecture or created later in the 20th century frequently inspire and influence my work, but I also find inspiration in the work of 21st century architects and designers.

Some of my paintings are stylized or abstract interpretations of the exteriors or interiors of specific residences designed by pioneering 20th-century architects or currently practicing architects. However, I use my own imagination and design skills to create the “architecture” in my other paintings.

Each of my paintings is the product of a research and design process that is informed by my life-long study of art and art history, modern architectural history, and residential design. Throughout this process, my aim is not to do the work of an architect or interior designer but to use my design skills to create original works of art that express the modern aesthetic in what, I hope, is an interesting and imaginative way.

Bio

Barbara McCuen is a native Iowan who has resided in Lincoln, Nebraska since 1982. She started to paint and study art and architectural history when she was 15. However, until recently, she made her living outside the field of art.

Barbara initially majored in architecture but earned her B.S. in marketing and business administration, an M.S. in consumer and family studies, and a Ph.D. in higher education and statistics, all from Iowa State University. In addition, she took art, art history, and interior design courses while she was concurrently enrolled in her doctoral program.

With a passion for teaching, Barbara pursued a traditional academic career as a marketing professor in the collegiate business schools at Iowa State, Drake University, and the University of Nebraska at Omaha. However, while serving as a visiting marketing professor at Colorado State, she studied interior architectural design under the direction of the architect who chaired the Department of Art and Art History.

After Barbara retired from teaching as a tenured associate professor, she pursued her second career conducting and reporting marketing and education research. Since retiring from her research position with Nebraska’s Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education, Barbara has continued her life-long studies of art and architectural history and is now working full time as an artist.